Chapter 14: One Adventure Ends

A small sphere of energy sprang into being, its dim light illuminating the field of grass around it. Flashes of lightning flickered inside the transparent bubble, and each bolt of energy struck the interior of the sphere and increased its dimensions. The sphere grew to full size in moments before detonating. The explosion sent out a horizontal shockwave from the midpoint as the energy dispersed in all directions. Matthew Blake was deposited along with the Jenkins family on the ground in the middle of the field.

"A most fascinating method of travel," Matthew stated approvingly.

"It does have its limits," Mike countered, holding up the time device. The progress line and numbers on the upper display screen had vanished, and the entire thing had gone dark. "It's out of juice, so I hope we're close to the right year, because this is when we'll be staying."

They immediately began taking in their surroundings, seeing if they could determine their location and time. Beyond the field where they were delivered, a dense forest stretched off into the distance. In the opposite direction was a large lake lapping gently against the shore. The failing light of late evening colored the waters in a variety of shades.

"I see smoke," Cassie pointed out.

Everyone looked where she indicated and saw a column of smoke rising over the treetops.

"It can't be a natural fire," Matthew said authoritatively. "See how it narrows at the base? It either comes from a chimney or campfire."

"Good," Mike said. "We can find someone in that direction who can tell us where and when we ended up."

They headed off as a group toward the distant smoke plume, desperate to know if they had even landed close to their own time. The idea of being trapped in a part of history other than their own was not an appealing thought.

The sun sank in the west, and the moon's ghostly light became more dominant as the sun retreated and took its brightness with it. The temperature, already on the cool side, started becoming positively frigid. It caused their breathing to show in white clouds, and small shivers began affecting them as well.

Mike started watching the surrounding landscape for a place where they could camp somewhat comfortably during the night. He knew if the cold continued to get worse, they could easily freeze to death. Matthew's next comment let Mike know the Duke had been having similar thoughts.

"There's a good place to stop," Matthew mentioned, pointing out a tight cluster of trees. The trunks provided shelter from the wind on almost every side.

"Let's get some leaves," Mike suggested.

The family began working with Matthew to collect piles of dry leaves and heap them in the gap between the tree trunks. It was a taxing chore, but it kept them warm for the time being. When a sufficient amount had been gathered, they crawled in amongst the leaves to rest until morning. Mike was the last in and took a swipe at a low hanging branch with his sword. Although it didn't cut all the way through, he never intended for it to do so. The branch leaned down, covering the opening between tree trunks in a natural door of twigs and leaves.

***

The morning was still cold, and everyone had trouble getting moving. They knew it was necessary to start building up body heat, but they felt like old machines that had rusted in place. They tried to get going, but their limbs argued with every order given to them.

The Duke, having grown up with fewer modern comforts was the first to become fully active. He climbed out of the leaf pile and began brushing the dead plant material from his clothes.

Sean was next, heading down to the nearby shoreline for some solitude before their journey started again. He watched the tranquil waters and listened to their soothing sound as they washed up against the shore. A sudden surge of the lake made him back up abruptly and nearly trip over a rock. From under the placid surface, a snake like head, larger than Sean, emerged on the end of a long neck. Water flowed off the creature's smooth skin as it towered above him, creating several miniature waterfalls.

Holding motionless, Sean stared up at the familiar form he only dared hope was his friend from long ago. The beast looked down on him, its round eyes studying him intently.

"Nessie?" Sean breathed.

With speed he'd never seen, the giant beast dropped her head and wrapped around him in her familiar serpentine hug. Her skin was wet and soaked his clothes, but Sean was too busy laughing to care. He scratched under her chin and hugged her tightly.

"It's so good to see you," Sean whispered to her.

Nessie enthusiastically rubbed her massive head against Sean's chest in greeting.

"At least we know where we are," Mike commented.

"What do you mean?" Alison inquired.

"That is Urquhart castle," Mike answered, pointing to a tower of stone on the opposing shoreline. The rest of the ancient fortifications were obscured by surrounding vegetation and the concealing cloak of a morning mist. "I've seen pictures of it. We're in Scotland, and this is Loch Ness!"

"Nessie doesn't just look like the Loch Ness monster," Cassie pointed out. "She's actually it."

"How long does such a creature live?" Matthew asked.

"I have no idea," Mike replied. "If we've come back to our present day, she has to be at least several hundred years old."

"Those look a lot younger," Cassie observed when a slight hiss drew her attention down toward the shore.

Gathered around Nessie's front flippers were twenty-five miniature versions of herself. They either swam next to her or crawled up on land to inspect the humans their mother welcomed.

"How is this possible?" Alison asked. "We only brought one through time."

"She must reproduce without the need for a mate," Mike answered.

"I'm just glad she isn't the last," Sean said, wrapping his arms around Nessie's neck in a loving squeeze.

"If Nessie has been here all these years, especially with her young, why aren't they more well known?" Cassie questioned.

"The cave!" Mike said excitedly when the realization dawned on him. "The original eggs were left in a secluded chamber where they'd be protected from potential predators. The reason no one has found proof of her existence is because she only occasionally visits this place."

"I wonder how many times she's laid eggs and how many more of them there might be in the world," Alison mused.

"Considering the age of her kids, I'd guess the reproductive cycle to be rather long, otherwise, they would've filled up the world by now," Mike reasoned.

"If your intention is to reconnoiter before the locals rise, I would suggest we make haste," Matthew mentioned.

Mike looked at Sean and the happy reunion in progress. He was hesitant to disturb the pair, so he made the decision not to break it up.

"Sean, you can stay here with Nessie," Mike told him. "Alison, why don't you and Cassie stay here as well? Two people dressed as sailors from the past will draw less attention than four."

"Alright," Alison agreed. "We'll be waiting; don't be gone long."

"We'll hurry," Mike promised, putting his arm around her waist and drawing her close before giving her a quick but loving kiss. "See you soon, dear."

Mike and Matthew adopted a brisk pace toward the column of smoke still rising above the trees. It was their intention to reach the source and find information on their current location in time before any of the locals spotted them.

The mist began withdrawing as the sun rose higher and drove it away. By midmorning, Mike and Matthew reached the source of the smoke. Hidden among the trees was a single residence, set a distance away from the other buildings of a nearby town; the settlement was partly visible further down the road that went past the front of the home. The smoke they'd seen over the forest billowed forth from the brick chimney of the house.

"Here we go," Mike said softly as he bent down to pick up a newspaper from the driveway. He checked the front page story through the transparent plastic bag the newspaper had been delivered in to see if anything unexpected had occurred because of their adventures in history. His suspicions were confirmed; they had changed something. Mike quickly checked the date before returning the paper to the drive.

"We're done here," he told Matthew. "Let's get back to the others."

***

"Where's Nessie?" Mike asked when he and Matthew rejoined with the family.

"She left when the mist started to fade," Alison explained, welcoming Mike back with a hug. "She and her kids seem to have an instinct about staying hidden."

"Good," Mike said in relief. "I don't want to change the timeline anymore than we already have."

"What do you mean?" Alison inquired. Cassie and Sean also drew near to learn of the consequences of their journeys through history.

"The top story on the front page of a current newspaper is about an island discovered to be populated by a species of fruit eating dinosaur long believed extinct," Mike explained.

"I'm glad they found a home," Cassie said with a snicker.

"Apparently, they've done more than that," Mike continued. "They're very docile and are becoming quite popular as household pets."

The only one not laughing by this point was Matthew as he had no knowledge of the events that had transpired before his meeting the Jenkins family. Cassie patted him on the arm and whispered in his ear.

"I'll explain it to you later," she promised.

"Any other changes in history?" Sean prompted.

"None that I could find from a quick look at the paper," Mike denied. "However, the date is close to our own time."

"How close?" Alison urged.

"It's two weeks prior to when we left on this little adventure," Mike stated. "So, we won't be able to go home for two weeks because our past selves won't have left yet."

"What are we going to do for two weeks in a foreign country with no money or travel documents?" Alison asked.

"I don't know," Mike admitted.

"May I make a suggestion?" Sean queried.

"Sure," Mike agreed.

"Nessie can swim us out of

here on her back during a morning fog," he offered. "Getting home to the States won't be a problem, but we might want to make a detour on the way."

"What do you have in mind?" Mike questioned, intrigued by the gleam in his son's eye.

"During the battle with the pirates, I got aboard one of their ships," Sean explained. "Before I set off a powder charge to blow it up, I paid a visit to the Captain's cabin."

Sean opened his pack and showed his family a substantial collection of old books, scrolls, and tied bundles of parchment. He removed one of the scrolls and spread of out in front of them. Detailed depictions of an island and its terrain covered the map, and certain landmarks had been indicated for the purpose of directional guidance. An X marked the map near an illustrated waterfall.

"Anyone want to hunt some pirate treasure?" Sean asked.

The Jenkins family looked at each other with intrigued smiled on their faces.

***

Matthew and Mike dragged the heavy chest through the soft sand and stopped next to the others. Both men were breathing hard, and perspiration glistened on their skin. More than two dozen of the metal bound wood chests had been collected on the beach. Sean's map had led them right to where they needed to go in order to find the hidden plunder.

Nessie had delivered them to the island early in the morning, but she departed soon afterward to take her family on a fishing trip.

Sean struck the old lock with a heavy stone. Age and corrosion had taken their toll, and the lock broke open. Removing the lock from the chest, Sean flipped back the covering latch and lifted the lid. Gold flashed under the sun's touch, and the Jenkins family stared in disbelief. Filled to the brim, the chest held hundreds of gold coins and precious stones in every size and color imaginable.

Matthew had grown up surrounded by wealth as a duke, so the sight of the treasure didn't affect him as much. Regardless, his eyes glanced over the many boxes they'd retrieved from the pirate's ancient hiding place, amazed at their quantity. One of the chests would have been enough to make a person rich, but all of them presented an absolutely staggering amount of wealth.

***

Sean sat by himself on one of the treasure chests filled with a ridiculously large amount of gold. Each of the chests had been opened and inspected. Mike had found a beautiful string of pearls, which he was currently in the process of draping around Alison's neck to see if she liked it. The delighted smile on her face clearly indicated her approval.

Matthew and Cassie sat together and looked thoughtfully at the large diamond ring he'd discovered in one of the chests. Sean didn't think it would be too long before Matthew ended up becoming a permanent member of the family.

Looking through his pack, Sean sifted through the books and scrolls, examining all the maps he'd collected from the pirates and wondering where they should go next and what new adventures awaited them.